Catholic Diocese of Cleveland to allow public worship to resume May 25

Parishes will have to comply with specific guidelines to reopen.

Author: WKYC Staff

Published: 5:10 PM EDT May 12, 2020

Updated: 5:15 PM EDT May 12, 2020

CLEVELAND — As the state of Ohio has begun phases of reopening, churches and parishes across the state are preparing to do the same.

On Tuesday, the Diocese of Cleveland announced that public worship will be allowed to resume beginning Monday, May 25. However, just like other businesses and organizations preparing to reopen, churches must follow guidelines outlined to ensure the safety of churchgoers.

To help, the Diocese has put together a guide for each part of the mass attending process, "before," "during" and "after." Each section follows the primary social distancing guidelines including, but not limited to limiting attendance and enforcing physical distancing.

The Diocese has also extended the general dispensation from the Sunday and holy day obligation with so many Catholic falling into "high-risk categories, are fearful, or have family members with compromised health."